


Fallen Star

by onestepatatime



Series: Hobbit/Jupiter Ascending Crossover [3]
Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25939225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onestepatatime/pseuds/onestepatatime
Summary: What happens when a woman's wish upon a falling star for a son finally comes true in the form of a boy fallen from the heavens?
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Series: Hobbit/Jupiter Ascending Crossover [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1141976
Comments: 32
Kudos: 5





	1. A Cold Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Legal Disclaimer: All trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective owners. I make no profit from this story.
> 
> This story is influenced by and in the Jupiter Ascending universe. I really like that movie, but I only write Hobbit, so here you go.

“Have you finished gawking at the sky yet, Emma?” Luke managed to free himself of their many blankets and stood up in the truck bed. Stretching cramped muscles, he held onto the cab roof as he looked out over the valley below. He could only see snow, snow-covered evergreens dotting the white landscape. In its last quarter phase, the moon lit up the night well enough to be able to see the outline of distant mountains of which they lived in the foothills. 

“Almost. The moon’s at its brightest now that its past midnight.” Emma sigh. “The Northern Lights were beautiful, though.” The lights had shimmered a haunting emerald green for a half hour when they had first parked, her favorite color.

"They were." Luke did not care that much for meteor showers, nor which constellation was in the sky. Emma was the one to always be chattering on about this planet's best viewing time or that comet crossing the sky. He had seen Haley's Comet while a young man dating a young girl obsessed with the night sky. More interested in football than his father's lumber business, Luke had proposed under the stars on the comet's brightest night.

“Only twenty shooters per hour at the peak, but it was nice.” Emma had not been able to get out to see her meteor showers during the peak holiday season. Now it was a slow mid-January Tuesday and the Northern Lights dancing over Lake Augusta. True to his decades' old promise, Luke had barely grumbled a few complaints under his breath. He had dutifully packed a cooler filled with sandwiches and a thermos of coffee that he threw into his truck's bed, along with sleeping bags and blankets. Well prepared for a long night, Luke had hauled his star loving wife up to the peak to watch her falling stars.

Knowing Luke's perchance for loving sports and not stars, Emma had accepted his marriage proposal. She had added the agreement that he would take her to see the stars whenever she wanted to. At first, he had loved to watch his young bride wish, as most girls did, for a family. She would talk about names and who the baby would look like. Luke would smile indulgently, helping Emma's attempts at getting pregnant after she was through wishing and wanted to actually try for a child.

Now, Luke looked at his ever beautiful, but aging bride. No children had ever come. They had talked about adoption a time or two. Still, his two younger brothers had married, the couple learning to enjoy being the 'bestest' aunt and uncle to their dozen or so nieces and nephews. The youngest brother, Mark, now ran the family lumber business. Nathan was trying to start an internet company of some sort.

In his early sixties, Luke was now content to let his brothers run their businesses on the family land. He himself happily ran his own bed and breakfast lodge on the edge of the property nearest the mountains, and the interstate. They didn't have skiing or other fancy sports. Families enjoyed coming for the winter holidays. Nature enthusiasts enjoyed coming for the bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities in the warmer months.

"It's getting late, Emma." Luke didn't know how much longer they would be able to come out in winter. Summer was much more comfortable on his joints, but that was also a busy season. He had been toying with the idea of a building, sort of like a greenhouse, by their lodge. He had only made some sketches, but his oldest nephew, Matthew, was an architectural student and said that it was feasible.

"I suppose so, old man. You drank the last of the coffee." Emma shook the still warm, but empty container and sighed. "Sometimes, I think that I only keep you around because you make such good coffee."

“Amateurs." Luke couldn't understand how others just didn't get the simple steps, such as running a cleaner through their professional-grade coffee maker in the beverages bar once a day. He shrugged, ready to climb down from the truck bed and start the vehicle to get it somewhat warmed up before Emma escaped the warmth of her blankets. Instead, a light caught his eye as he went to put the key in the ignition.

Grabbing his binoculars from under the seat, Luke quickly got out and focused on the fireball streaking across the sky. They had seen one or two over the years, especially in February, but none had been as bright as this one. Instead of a brightly glowing ball with a straight tail, this was a rod-shaped, yellow object that kept its size as it flew past him on his right.

“Let me see.” Emma nearly tore Luke’s arm off as she jumped out of the truck bed, still tangled in a blanket or two. Luke turned away, holding on firmly to the binoculars with both hands as he watched it not skip across the sky, but head straight for the ground.

"Luke!" Whatever sharp words would have come were silenced as both crouched behind the truck when a deafening explosion echoed overhead.

“My stars…” Luke readjusted his view with the binoculars in time to see the formerly frozen lake, with a foot of ice over it, become a boiling cauldron glowing the same eerie yellow.

“You would hog the sight. Best fireball in…” Emma trailed off as she finally got a hold on the binoculars. “Maybe we can find the crater, find a meteorite. Must be worth…”

“Yeah.” Luke watched his wife become speechless for the first time in a decade as she saw the lake boiling. “Get in the truck, Emma.”

"We need to go down there, see what this is. Film it." Emma knew enough about the internet to understand that a nephew or two could help her post it.

"We need to get you home. Your lips are blue." There was no way that Luke would permit his wife anywhere near something powerful enough to melt an entire lake, and make it _boil_.

No matter how much she protested, Emma was bundled up into the truck and driven back to the lodge. Luke insisted on stoking up the fire in the enormous fireplace in the main sitting area and made a strong pot of coffee to leave her with.

"You get yourself warm, and I will go out and see what's going on." Luke drank his own cup of hot coffee and warmed his hands before going back out into the cold. He didn't know why he was going back out, except Emma certainly would if he didn't.

“Take Nora with you then.” Emma knew that there was no arguing with her stubborn husband when he wore his current expression. Stubborn as a mule and twice as tough, she often complained, but secretly depended on such strength and reliability in her partner.

"Fine." Luke whistled. The white Newfoundland, with the black patches slipping over one eye and across her rump and half her tail, jumped up from her bed under the lodge stairs and headed to wag her tail by the door. 

“Take the camera.” Emma shoved the small device into Luke’s hand as he put a leash on Nora and let the large dog’s enthusiasm drag him out the lodge door and back out to the truck. He opened the tailgate for her, then threw the camera onto the dashboard, revved up the truck, and began the uncertain drive down to the lake.


	2. Fallen Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One never finds quite what one was expecting to find.

The lake was not by the lodge road; it was set back farther into the woods. One had to follow a path for about 1/8 of a mile to get to it. By the time Luke parked the truck, making certain that it was still securely on the road and not stuck in the snowbank, Nora had jumped out of the truck bed and bounded off towards the lake.

Grumbling, Luke grabbed the camera and managed to remember how to press record as he followed Nora's trail through the uncleared lake path. His brothers' kids cleared it about once every other week with the tractor, but a recent snowfall had him now knee-deep in soft snow.

"Nora! Get back here! Nora!" It had been stupid to leash the dog just to let her loose in the truck bed. She would probably wind the leash around a tree off the path, leaving Luke with a quiet lake and a dog rescue in the woods to record.

Nora’s barking was followed by a splash as she jumped into the water. Now Luke ran, not caring that he was recording the ground bouncing along. That dog was his wife’s and the lodge’s pride and joy. People came from miles around just to get pictures with the dog for some reason. Some families even made it a yearly tradition to have their kids take a picture with her and posted the growing years for comparison on social media.

Luke managed to stop at the lake's edge. The formerly snow-capped floating deck was clear. He climbed on it and carefully recorded the lake. It was no longer boiling, but was an eerie calm, with chunks of ice floating in the water. He did manage to get the sight of the still glowing yellow object far out in the deepest part of the lake. It pulsed as if a creature had moved into the depths below.

“Nora!” Luke watched the dog ignore him as she swam almost halfway across the lake, barking the whole way. She gave one last bark before grabbing a dark, floating object and turned back to the shore.

“Oh my…” Luke recorded, dumbfounded even though he knew Emma would want him to narrate what was going on. She could do that later with her new desktop computer in the lodge’s office.

True to her breed, the Newfoundland was churning the water with her unique stroke. She had what looked like a log in her mouth, dragging it with determination through the lake's waters. Luke remembered the small flashlight he had gotten as a Christmas gift, stored in a pouch on his belt, next to his knife. Balancing the camera, he opened the pouch one-handed and shone the light out on the water.

“Glory to… It can’t be.” Luke’s mind went blank a moment. That was becoming a bad habit tonight. The light shone on his dog, pulling in a human body. 

"Nora!" Luke remembered to put the camera down on a built-in wooden bench on the deck. Nora barked once, muffled by her persistence in not letting go of her cargo. It seemed an eternity, but soon, Luke reached over the side, pulling the soaked dog onto the deck by her collar. He ignored her shaking water all over the place as he held onto the railing post with one hand and grabbed the body with the other.

The body was unwieldy, soaked with ice beginning to form on the helmet. Nora barked until the body was on its back on the deck. It was covered in some burnt bronze metal links, with a transparent material as the front of the helmet. This material was cracked, a line running across the front, a small hole at one end. Full of water, the helmet obscured any face that might have been seen.

Luke grabbed the camera, swinging the view back out to the lake where he recorded the last few yellow light pulses before the lake went dark. He then figured out how to close up on the body, taking in any details in his flashlight's beam. Nora barked again, jumping on the body. The dog's weight landed on a gold, hand-sized panel in the chest area. Luke continued recording as the suit seemed to fold in on itself or disintegrate, leaving just the helmet and the gold plate behind.

Luke picked up the plate with one hand, rotating it to get all sides in the camera’s view. Setting it aside, he put the camera back on the bench. Grabbing the helmet with both hands, he pulled it off of the head.

“Oh my.” Luke turned from the sight, dropping the camera. The face was not one of some monster from Mars like the B rate movies he had seen as a kid. This was the white face of a drowned boy, soaked hair already rimmed with ice as the wind picked up.

Luke scrubbed at his face, forcing himself to wake from his confusion. Nora shaking water all over him again had him acting. He picked up the dog that weighed as much as his wife and carried her to the truck. Running the heater, Luke managed to wrap the wriggling dog in a blanket. Warming his hands, he contemplated his next move. He should drive home; call the sheriff to handle this mess. Luke looked at the soaked Nora. She was staring at him almost accusingly.

"You are as bad as your mistress, Nora." Luke got out of the car to Nora's answering bark and headed back to the floating deck. His wife and her wishing on stars. Tonight must be the answer to thousands of wishes, he thought wryly.

The body was lighter than Nora, but the clothes were beginning to freeze stiff. Luke's coat and gloves were soaked, not helping the matter of getting through the snow. Glad that the tailgate was still down, he unceremoniously dumped the body amongst the sleeping bags and covered it with a blanket.

By the time Luke got home, he was shivering uncontrollably. He managed to carry Nora to the door. Luckily, Emma was frantically waiting and opened it for him. “What on earth happened to you two? You’re soaked, Luke!”

"Get some towels, Emma. Dry the dog." Nora's bearer deposited her by the fire. Luke shed his soaked coat and gloves, standing as close to the heat as he could. After a few minutes, he had enough feeling in his hands to grab Emma's half-finished coffee and sip it as his face began to thaw. They really were too old for such shenanigans!

Emma not only brought out the requested towels but also dragged out the fancy, free-standing dog hairdryer. With a large Newfoundland that loved the water, it saved a lot of time. "What did you find? You didn't forget the camera, did you, Luke?"

Luke just shook his head, pouring another cup of coffee from the pot set on the fireplace's tile border. He contemplated the firescreen and the flames dancing merrily as the wood cracked. He didn't care about the camera; he had forgotten where he dropped it. Would the thing need to be thawed out? It was probably ruined, and was definitely a gift from someone. Emma would be upset.

Luke ignored Emma's pestering questions, mumbling to dry the dog. It was another few minutes before Luke felt dethawed enough to be able to stand. Not knowing what to say, he just shook his head and walked back out to the truck.

"What did you find?" Emma wrapped herself in a still dry towel and followed. Luke's face wore a grave expression foreign to his general laid back nature. He merely went to the truck and pulled back a blanket from the pile. She could only stare at the too-perfect face crowned by an icy cornet.


	3. Regrets Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora may never forgive her owners for leaving her half dry. Emma's frozen prince thaws out, and they just begin to realize that may not be a good thing.

Emma was mesmerized and could not look away as she stared at the face. "He's alive. We just need to warm him up."

"Emma!" Luke was as practical as ever. "No one could survive this. No one."

"This isn't just anyone." Emma seemed to have cottoned on to the idea that this boy was her answer to countless falling star wishes. 

"Emma, he is gone, drowned. No one could survive floating face down in that cold water. He probably died on impact falling onto the ice." Luke remembered the broken helmet. The sheriff needed to be called. Dead was dead for everyone, he supposed. Alien, boy, or whatever, the body would receive a proper burial come spring.

Emma didn't seem to hear, hesitantly touching the ethereal face. She jerked her hand back from the wet, freezing cold skin. "He's so cold! Quick, bring him inside."

"Emma, call the sheriff. I'll take the body out to the barn. Sheriff Riggs can arrange for the county to come and pick it up in the morning." In this cold, it would keep. Emma was his concern, shivering with frosted breath steaming around her. Luke was beginning to feel frozen himself, with his still sodden coat not helping the situation one bit.

"Cold as ice. Cold as…" Emma's face lit up. She turned and grabbed Luke's coat, pulling him towards the body. "Children survive drownings, the colder, the better. A…a reflex where the blood keeps the brain warm…alive."

Luke grumbled about how he should have just put the body in the barn and called the sheriff to take it in the night. He reluctantly hefted the boy over his shoulder. Luke was shivering, and it was just easier to followed Emma inside, if only to get her back to the fire as well. The boy was drowned, but she had to see for herself. He only hoped that their lone lodger would be in bed. Adam Collins was from parts all over, but Luke doubted that the world traveler had seen this before.

Nora, ordinarily happy to greet them at the door, was in her dog bed. She whined and stared at them as she rested her chin on her paws. She seemed to be regretting guilting her master into starting this whole mess.

"Get into some dry clothes, Luke." Emma finally seemed to realize that her husband was now becoming her second frozen man. “Bring out some of the kids’ clothes when you’re done. I’ve got to get these wet clothes off of him.” She muted her prudish mind with the thought that Luke's lips had been the ones that were blue this time. It took a few minutes to figure out the odd clothing.

"Let me." Luke came to the same realization, having quickly changed into a dry shirt. Luke let out an exasperated exhale he got to work. Soon he had a pulled off vambraces and knee-high moccasins, both made from a thick, black hide. Why would an astronaut wear a sleeveless shirt made from the same thick, black leather, covered with plastic squares? Fortunately, this armor came off by releasing ties on the sides. Underneath was a sleeveless, emerald green wool tunic. Luke just grabbed the hem and pulled it inside out over the boy's head; he wasn't complaining. 

Emma turned away as soaked clothes squelched when they landed in a pile. She just knew that this boy was not an astronaut when blue and red striped wool socks sailed by. Crouching by the dog bed to pet Nora’s head didn’t comfort the Newfoundland. Whining pitifully, Nora mourned the fact that she was only half dry, and her doggie parents had forsaken her for a stiff. "We'll fix you up, girl.”

Nora just whined again, not impressed. Luke was none too happy himself as he muffled a curse when the dead body decided to not cooperate with the current summary of his health. There was a quiet exhale before a weak cough dribbled water down the boy’s chin. A gasp of an inhale followed before the boy stilled, holding his breath.

“Emma, get the first aid kit and call an ambulance.” Luke ignored Emma’s questions and felt for a pulse, not counting on this body to behave naturally and have a pulse if it was breathing. Weak or not, it was present when none had been found before. Emma was not very helpful as she tried to fumble around and dry the boy’s hair.

“Go!” Luke covered the boy in dry towels and the emergency blanket. Being jostled around seemed to remind his lungs that breathing was a continuous activity. More coughing ensued as Luke rolled him onto his side.

Emma shook as she shoved the phone into Luke’s hands. The dispatcher peppered Luke with questions as she fled to get more blankets. He barely comprehended the woman’s calm, neutral voice. Luke had always imagined how he would react to a real emergency while attending first aid classes. The instructors had failed to mention the difference in the panic levels associated with a guest’s broken leg and a drowned alien. Now forced to really look at the face, Luke saw that it was too exotic. Something seemed instinctually wrong about the facial structure.

“No, I didn’t check his airway or breathing. There was no pulse because he was dead, floating face down in an icy lake. My dog found him. He just started breathing again on his own.” Luke wasn’t about to expound on the circumstances.

“Yes, he’s on his side. No, he didn’t…Just send someone, will you?” Why was it so hard to think clearly? From the moment that Luke had touched the boy, things seemed out of focus, with a touch of panic.

Neither Luke nor Emma knew how much time had passed before they found themselves sitting at their beverage bar. Sheriff Riggs himself poured them fresh cups of coffee.

"So, what brings you round our parts this time of night, Sheriff?” Luke looked around, barely believing the whirlwind of activity was over. That the ambulance had whisked the boy away. When the EMTs had arrived, Riggs had been right behind them.

The sheriff looked incredulously at Luke a moment, until he saw how the couple had shaky hands as they sipped at their coffee. " Rather nervous, aren't you, Luke? We had quite a few calls about a probable prank. Lights dancing in the sky that were nothing like the Northern Lights you might have seen earlier.”

Luke just glared, not caring who he was talking to. He was fed up with this whole mess. "Emma and I were watching the meteor shower on the hill and saw some lights. I went down and recorded it some. I dropped the camera when I found the source of your prank lights, a teenager."

"Camera's probably ruined." Emma grimaced at her ruined gadget. The odd stupor that had surrounded them was finally gone.

"I checked out the area. How could a teenage boy melt your lake, Luke?" Riggs got to the point. “Where did he come from? That boy isn’t from around here. I didn't see any vehicles parked on your road."

“I'm afraid that the boy was hypothermic and couldn’t explain himself." Luke accepted a refill of coffee, but was done cooperating. “Feel free to fetch the camera or just question the boy himself. I’m finished with this whole mess.”

"He must be a city boy visiting some family. You know how kids out here prank their more urban cousins." Emma lightly smacked Luke’s arm for his rudeness and thanked the sheriff for her own refilled cup. She pushed away the memory of eyes like emerald jewels, sparkling with mysteries unknown.

"I don't know of anyone around here with family from New York, or wherever parents let their young kids get plastic surgery on their ears." Riggs took a second, hard look at them. “It’s late. I will come by later in the day tomorrow. Maybe I’ll find your camera for you.”

"You can be certain to call social services in the morning then, Sheriff.” Luke yawned. “Me and my missus are going to bed.” He let Emma thank the sheriff for his assistance and went straight to bed. Luke was definitely too old for stargazing these days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mammalian effect is real, especially in small children, or older cubs who use it regularly until they can regulate their own body temperature. It takes 3 to 4 decades.
> 
> The first aid response is crappy, but after 4 rewrites, I quit. Luke is being affected by an injured empath whom he touched. The fear that Bilbo feels upon waking is reflected back at him.
> 
> I do highly recommend taking a first aid course for a much better overview of a drowning emergency response.
> 
> Next chapter we finally get to Thorin's response to all of this.


	4. Frozen Jaal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When an empath's kapevja dies suddenly and without warning, they themselves can begin to die from the shock of the bond's loss.

Thorin was usually quiet and reserved at the weekly council meetings. Sharing his emotions with the other empaths at the table was sufficient. Listening to long discussions was boring. Using more words than yeah and nay on infrequent occasions made his deep voice even more effective at getting the others' attention when he finally spoke. This bypassed the need for lengthy explanations when he disagreed with the others.

No matter what Dis thought, Dain heartily agreed with Thorin. They considered this a sheer genius approach to politics. It was especially useful when Balin used the mandatory attendance meeting to drone on about some dull matter. Why were urgent or important always associated with a boring lecture? Thorin was certain that Balin could make a sewer repair overview sound like a riveting action movie script with just a bit more effort in his presentation. With breakfast to be had only in the conference room on these mornings, Thorin considered himself a captive audience. So, why should he use lots of words no one listened to?

Bilbo didn't mind Thorin's approach in the least. He usually had a good, silent laugh at watching Thorin's face while Balin droned on. Balin was comical when he assumed that the laughter emanated from Thorin. The majordomo would berate his clan leader for enjoying his eggs and steak a bit too long for propriety. Bilbo knew Thorin's thoughts regarding the subject matter, and voiced them for him. It was a lovely arrangement. Thorin ate steak instead of fish. Bilbo sounded like he actually listened to Balin's lessons on being an effective Entitled lord holder. It was a win-win situation!

"Thorin!" Balin's sharp reprimand along with the snapping of his fingers next to Thorin's ear finally got a reaction. Balin sighed. "Thorin, I know that Bilbo isn't here this week, and he left under duress. We ourselves do need to prioritize the items in this coming month's budget today."

Balin liked to have the alcazar city's general funds spending budget finalized six months in advance. The problem was the matter of the city's aging infrastructure. Expenses came up that could not be ignored. Bofur's shop had many replacement parts salvaged from a dozen abandoned alcazars. If he couldn't fix the broken unit, a replacement would need to be purchased. The council would then prioritize what the remaining funds would buy, leaving any remaining needs for the next six month's budget.

"You are clever enough to define 'unsufferable conditions', Balin. I'm confident that you can figure out a budget that will suffice." Thorin wasn't about to share his feelings beyond a general sense of annoyance. To open up would let the majordomo eavesdrop on his current vexed state of mind.

Thorin had no clue what today's business entailed. He was busy, unsuccessful in reaching out to a silent Bilbo. His cub had not wanted to leave home, but orders had the High Prince making a rare appearance at the Thain’s formal court. From there, Bilbo had been instructed to go with some emissaries to examine their own style of prototype scout ship. Thorin was permitted to join him, but Bilbo had refused.

“The correct term is insufferable conditions, Thorin.”

Thorin scarcely heard Balin’s answer as he flat out ignored his cousin. There was only silence from his kapevja. The empty space that Bilbo was supposed to occupy in the back of Thorin’s head was currently like looking into a mirror. The trinome was expecting to see his cub’s reflection, but barely saw his own instead. The only sensations there now were the cold smoothness of the glass, the feel of a bitter frost in the air. Bilbo was not there.

“Thorin?” Balin’s puzzled voice was a distant echo. Thorin looked around to see the mirror clearly; it was cast in a pale, white light. Beyond the light’s reach, there was only a frozen darkness. Each breath swirled around Thorin’s head. The mirror felt like the burn of ice as he put both palms and his forehead flat against it.

“Balin?” The reflection changed to show Balin’s worried face hovering over Thorin. The majordomo was saying something, but the echo silenced as he became numb in body and mind. The reassuring chaos of feelings from the other empaths fell silent as well.

“Bilbo?” Thorin barely managed the name as he now desperately rooted around in his head for the kapevja bond that was always present, like a part of himself.

The mirror’s surface frosted over the faint reflection as he grew steadily colder. Having called Bilbo’s name, reaching for their bond, released the outer darkness’ cold that the light had held back. It didn't attack with a fierce bite, but seeped into Thorin's skin until it had permeated his body down to his bones' marrow. He couldn't move as the mirror began to crack, pieces falling to the ground with a tinkling sound like tiny, merry bells. Bilbo was gone.

\----

Thorin stood, his mind and soul numb. The arrival of House Took’s Thain typically brought joy from the promise of merrymaking. A grand banquet with the ale flowing freely for a few rare days off was always a welcome event. The rather grinding and unchanging task of bringing a new alcazar city to life was a taxing one.

Thorin looked ‘perfectly respectable’, as Bilbo would say. He was in his best clothes, covered by his freshly polished armor. Perhaps the problem that was so evident was the double dagger sheath at his side. Thorin’s impromptu valet had been rushed to get the trinome ready for the unannounced visit. Thorin hadn’t been able to remember where he had put the dagger sheath that Dwalin had made as a birthday gift.

Now, Thorin stood with Bungo Baggins’ original sheath strapped to his thick belt. He only wore it on the rare occasions when Bilbo couldn’t have a weapon, and Thorin carried the pair himself. The empty sheath now set his temper on edge, ready to explode.

Thain Isumbras Took IV emerged from his fancy shuttle that had descended from his fancy ship. Cold anger settled in Thorin's heart, despite the worn expression the Thain wore. It spoke of spoke only of hardship and sorrow. The part of Thorin’s mind that Bilbo loved so much reminded him to be kind. Bilbo was the Thain’s nephew. Thorin felt no compassion, for this was the man responsible for the misery emanating from all around him.

Balin was the one to greet the Thain and his majordomo, for this was no occasion for a retinue. This was a visit of utmost secrecy, and only to confirm what all of Janus already knew. Fili and Kili should be the ones to greet the Thain in Bilbo’s absence. Instead, they stood on either side of Thorin; he as jaal standing just in front of the royal guard.

The wind picked up, blowing in a way that made the Thain’s walk difficult, as if Janus itself denied the news that he carried. The breeze also made the two lines of royal guard appear wild and dangerous. Their long hair and beards swirled around their heads, as they stood stock still. All were empathically shut down, for they knew something was awry, but wished to delay the news for as long as possible.

When Isumbras approached Thorin next, Balin looked relieved. Fili had been calm about this whole affair, but was honest in admitting that he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions if the Thain called him Lord Holder instead of Honored Heir. Seeing Fili staring straight ahead, Thorin himself held firm in the face of the wind. His stance enabled his already excellent balance to leave him unaffected.

He glared at the Thain when their eyes met. Isumbras could see the cold frost making Thorin’s eyes turn a sharp sky blue instead of their normal deep blue tone. Thorin knew that he was breaking countless ageless rules. He unfurled his wings to their full extent, a rarity, as he still had a deep, unspoken fear due to past mistreatment. The feathers sparkled like scattered gems as the plumage seemed to dance in the wind, mocking the Thain whose splendor now seemed much diminished in comparison.

“Where is Bilbo? Where is my _cub_?" Thorin spat out the words only after an impromptu staring contest, and Balin having cleared his throat. Thorin was supposed to welcome the Thain to Janus with a short greeting, letting Balin handle the rest. Thorin had decided instead to let his numbness melt at the worst moment, exchanging it for indignation and ice edged anger.

“This is not the place, Thorin, son of Thrain." House Took had several ancient traditions, and the Thain would not be forced to forgo them. Isumbras’ voice held an edge of warning. “We have much to discuss; none of it bodes well for your temper, Jaal.”

“Then I leave you in peace, Good Thain. Balin.” This was as civil as Thorin would allow, and only for his nephews’ sake. Neither had the heart for a scene. The trinome folded his wings with a rather angry show, nodded to a Fili who was clearly in agreement with Thorin's actions, and stormed out of the central atrium.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kapevja (longing to mix) bond - an empathic bond that is so deep that basic thoughts are as available as emotions. This bond has three origins. It can be natural, such as the sibling bond between Balin and Dwalin. It can be a concious decision. It can also accidentally occur between two careless empaths, especially when one is highly gifted. This third bond will only thrive if it grows into a concious decision bond.
> 
> Jaal (trusted beyond honor) - an Entitled noble's most trusted servant. This splice has his or her master's full authority vested upon them in the noble's absence. It is a splice title traditionally bestowed after decades of proven loyalty, as an Entitled can only give this title to one servant in their lifetime.


	5. Like It Or Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma is not about to lose her new son now that the stars have finally given her one. Luke finds himself pulled down the rabbit hole of her plan.

“Luke, we should go visit him.” Emma knew that her husband wanted to forget this whole affair. But she also knew that he would feel some weight of responsibility for saving the boy. Luke had an 'if you start it, you finish it mentality.' 

Luke sighed as he turned over on his pillow to face Emma. Neither had been able to sleep. The bedroom’s floor to ceiling east window allowed the dim light of predawn to announce a new day’s arrival. “Go to sleep. You know that we have no business getting involved with him.”

"If you think ignoring this situation will make it go away, then you are wrong, Luke Rinn." Emma puffed up in her lecture mood, even if she was in bed, wrapped in the thick duvet. "People will come calling, asking questions. We can either let them take the lead, or we decide how this situation will be handled. What if people go to the lake and investigate? The sheriff already promised to bring back our camera."

Luke could only groan. Emma was right; the sheriff would find the broken helmet. It was also true that they should dictate how this mess went going forward. "Fine. Visiting hours start at 10 am. We can go after you clean up from the breakfast buffet. It will also give me time to settle a few things at the office with Mark. I need to fill him in about the situation, as people are bound to call the business.”

Despite Emma’s smile, Luke groaned as he thought of Mark. His brother, who ran the family lumber business, was going to kill him.

\----

Having a guest meant that Emma was up early, making Adam Weissler’s custom vegetarian breakfast. It was a hassle for a traditional omelet cook. Still, Emma adored a good eater, and Adam always had a few good compliments as he ate. This was proven in that he never went to town to eat breakfast, though he habitually had dinner at the local tavern.

“Excellent fair as ever, Ms. Emma.” Adam finished his breakfast by wiping the plate clean with his whole grain wheat toast. He let out a satisfied “mmhh” before patting his stomach and bringing the plate to the sink. Emma wouldn’t let him do the dishes, but he insisted on rinsing it and his coffee cup. “That’s quite the outfit there.”

“Thank you, Adam." Emma knew that she was blushing like a schoolgirl at the compliment. He didn’t head back to his room, with its specialized wall and ceiling window with a grand view of the foothills, to tap out his memoirs on his laptop. Instead, their guest walked over to the ever-roaring fireplace where Emma had set out the clothes that she had hand washed before bed. Except for the boots and the plated tunic, the clothes were dry and hung wrinkle-free.

“What is this? Interesting; interesting indeed.” Adam looked the plated leather tunic over carefully, not touching it as he circled the drying rack. “Do you happen to have a renaissance fair aficionado as a new guest, Ms. Emma? This costume must have cost a pretty penny.”

“Not exactly, though that outfit is his normal fair. I’m certain that he will be happy to discuss a broad range of subjects with you, Adam.” Emma didn’t miss the excitement in her guest’s voice. He rarely spoke more than a few monotone words if the subject wasn’t about good cooking, but she knew that he was well versed in many aspects of world history.

“As I assume that he came late, I look forward to meeting him at lunch. Your beef stew smells divine as ever, Ms. Emma.” Adam was clearly dying for the recipe, but considered himself too cultured to ask. He did tentatively touch a long-sleeved silk shirt. It glistened emerald green in the firelight.

“I can only promise the food. Our new guest came here unexpectedly and is in hospital. I’m hoping that he will be well enough to join you soon enough, Adam.”

In fact, Emma had not thought much beyond washing and drying the clothes. The boy was not registered as a guest, though there were always rooms at the ready this time of year. Luke had voiced his expectations that someone official would take care of matters from here. She could end their involvement by giving the sheriff the camera's memory card and the clothes.

“Ah, it is easy to be a stranded motorist in this weather.” Adam nodded sagely, assuming that this was a case of frostbite. “It is fortunate that he was not on a more remote section of the interstate. Does he need assistance with his car?”

“Sheriff Riggs handled everything.” Emma smiled with a confidence that she definitely didn’t feel.

“Good man.” Adam nodded, then indicated towards the belt with the dagger sheath. She had set it to dry, with the dagger and the arm sheath knives beside it. “May I have a closer look at these?”

"Please do, though I assume that they are razor-sharp," Emma warned. She didn't want the lodge to be sued by a guest who assumed that a dagger was a display piece.

It wasn’t long before Sheriff Riggs was seated in his customary seat for a more traditional breakfast. He was full of compliments for the coffee and questions about last night’s events.

“I don’t know, Mrs. Rinn. I just can’t my head wrapped around the circumstances. That boy can’t be more than fifteen, sixteen at the most. There is no way that he could pull some prank involving something that melts a good-sized lake of ice. The boy isn't answering any questions, either. It seems that he's mute or whatever. The doctors say that you can pick him up tomorrow. By the way, he’ll need some decent winter clothes.” Riggs turned and looked over at the silk clothes in front of the fireplace.

“Pick him up?” Luke came inside for his own breakfast just in time to hear the unwanted news. He had been certain the sheriff would take the camera, and that would be that. Nora was still insisting on hiding in her bed today, not that he blamed her. Emma had had to put her food and water bowl there. “Don’t you want to see the camera footage?”

“It needs to dry out in a bag of rice.” Emma set down Luke’s plate. She picked up the camera that Riggs had put on the counter. It looked fine, but she was certain that they all needed more time before seeing its contents.

“No use seeing it now anyway.” The sheriff wasn’t bothered. “The boy needs to be willing to talk to answer the questions that seeing the video will bring up. It’s not like there’s a pressing investigation. I’m certain that after a few days of your lodge’s hospitality, he will warm right up to you.”

“Of course.” Emma now smiled. She enjoyed a challenging guest. “Clothes won’t be a problem. I’ll just measure his clothes and get some hand me downs from Tammy and Angela. We ought to have something that fits from the mountain of clothes that their two armies have outgrown.”

“Good to hear.” Sheriff Riggs was happy to hear this. Emma informing the paramedics that the boy as a cousin had saved him the headache of dealing with Social Services. Though, he still wondered why Luke was going along with the sham. Even the hospital staff had mentioned the boy's peculiarities and an overall air of oddness. No one liked to be in his room for long. “The principal promised that placement testing shouldn’t be a problem to arrange. The district assumed that you will be homeschooling the boy with the others. Mrs. Smith will be calling to make an appointment.”

“Schooling?” Luke barely managed to not slam down his fork. “Do you mind telling me what you’ve done this time, Emma?


	6. The Heat is On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As an aunt, Emma has had practice that makes her well prepared to use her mother's wrath. Luke and his two brothers come up with a Three Stooges style idea that earns them Thorin's wrath. Emma will appreciate the help.

"You and your brother turned a boy's near-drowning into an internet virtual scavenger hunt?" If Luke was angry at his wife having given the boy their family name, it was nothing compared to Emma's newfound mother's wrath.

“We needed a way to keep people from trespassing, and the kids needed a project for school.” Luke looked more fearful for his life than sheepish, as Emma was currently holding a butcher knife to carve the roast intended for dinner.

“So, you went from trying to shove Alan and the footage off on the sheriff to making our boy an internet sensation?” It took an excellent screw up to ruffle Emma's practical feathers. Luke would call Nathan to congratulate him later.

"It's a 'pretend accident' video teaser introducing our online scavenger hunt, which we will design in a week or two." Luke wasn't getting anywhere as Emma's look went from outrage to desire to decapitate something. She resolved the issue by thrusting the knife through the roast and sinking it into the cutting board.

"It buys us more time, Emma. You were the one arguing that we needed to spearhead the reaction. I told you that I was going to discuss this with Mark at the lumber office. Well, Nathan was there, and we put our heads together. The kids need to do a homeschooling project on technology…Wait, Emma!” Emma had settled on abandoning Luke and the dinner that she had sacrificed to the gods of anger. She headed for the office where her coat and purse were.

“Nathan promised to design the whole thing, with that internet business of his and all.” Luke hadn’t screwed up this bad in a decade or so. It had seemed like such a good idea at the office, solving all of their problems. “The sheriff will go along with it. You know, get the boy off the hook for any legal and all.” His voice died to a mumble at the end. To continue would guarantee that Luke would be sleeping for a week in a guest room.

"I can't believe that Mark let you talk him into this mess. We both told you that Nathan's idea for an internet whatever company was a hair-brained scheme. Nathan is just using this to get free publicity for his mediocre…." Emma's words tumbled off into angry muttering as she sat at the office desk and went through the drawers looking for the truck’s keys.

"I just got back, Emma." Luke winced as he pulled the keys from a pocket of the coat that he still wore.

Emma craned her head out of the office doorway just to glare at him for a split second. Then Luke could hear her dialing the phone. "Tammy? Oh, Jackie. Hi, it's Aunt Emma. Can you come over and run the reception desk? We're not expecting anyone, but I've got to fix one of the Rinn brothers' messes again. That's right, your dad listened to Nathan again. Yes, that was stupid, and Uncle Luke can explain it all to you when he picks you up in, say…five minutes? Great! Thanks, Jackie."

The phone slammed down with a crash, making Luke jump. "Go get Jackie. Then you are taking me to the hospital to see just who you've made into a laughing stock for Nathan's benefit." Emma was taking no prisoners today. Without a word, Luke tiptoed out the door.

\---- 

Isumbras knew that Thorin would be challenging to work with at any time. At this time, he needed Thorin to take over Bilbo's responsibilities. As the High Prince's Jaal, Thorin had the authority to act in his name until a body was produced, or even until an heir could be established. The trinome had enough experience from House Cotton's court, and Bilbo's lessons that both attended. With Balin at his side, Thorin should have been a great asset to the Thain as he handled Bilbo’s disappearance in his own court.

Instead, Thorin had clearly dismissed the Thain, in front of all of Janus no less. He was waiting in the conference room after Balin took over at the greeting ceremony. No one had said a word as the Thain refrained from an offer of a meal. He would take an early tea with Thorin. They had much to discuss.

Fili insisted on being included in the meeting. Both he and Thorin only stared at their steaming cups of honeyed tea until it cooled; Isumbras spent that time assessing Thorin. The trinome seemed to want to lash out at some enemy, one that eluded Took forces even now. There had been no trace of who had taken Bilbo from Tuk, or how.

“Your soul ails you, Thorin.” The telepath could now easily sense the jagged edge of cold biting at Thorin’s mind. The trinome was on the edge of panic, but there was nowhere to flee to.

"Bring me Bilbo's body, and I will do as you wish to help you deal with this situation." Thorin talked to his cup as he spun it in a circle on its plate. It had taken months of practice to hold the minuscule Took cups that were traditionally used for tea time. Bilbo now only used such a set that had been his mother’s, and only for when the Thain, her brother, visited.

There was a long pause as the Thain traced the delicate lace pattern painted on his own empty cup. Belladonna had hated this tea set. He almost wished that Thorin would break a few pieces so that there was a reason for him to gift Bilbo a new one. “Thorin, Bilbo was quite upset when he left.”

It was best to get the lesser of the bad news out first. Thorin appreciated being forthcoming with information. He hated to discover something distasteful later on. Now the only question was how much the wary trinome already knew.

“You tried to betroth him to another house that is developing their own vessels designed to use our methane fuel rods. You used his engineering skills as a bargaining chip, as if he were a mere splice to trade and barter.” Thorin’s voice was flat. “Don’t tell me that you made a comment about giving him a better quality mate or wife than Kiza.”

Fili let out a hiss through his clenched teeth, and managed to send his cup full of tea across the table. “So, my father was upset by your betrothal demand, and you sent him over the edge with such a shrewdly timed comment.”

"None of this matters anymore." Thorin wouldn't mention that Bilbo had hidden all of this from him. Over the past few years, he had learned which of Adalgrim's already placed 'friends' at court were willing to talk. Thorin felt that placing one’s own people was beneath him, and Adalgrim’s people were already proven worthy of trust.

"You as Thain need Fili and me to keep Bilbo's affairs in order while you deal with this security breach, because you already have evidence of his fate. Show us.” Thorin resisted grabbing the Thain’s shirtfront in an angry fist, despite his own calm expression and tone. The man was trying to bring himself to say something important. Maiming him accidentally on purpose would not help the Thain reach that objective.

Fili failed at keeping his tears at bay, staring accusingly at his uncle for not telling him beforehand. Thorin ignored him as he accepted a holo imager sheave from the Thain. He said nothing, only putting on his glasses as he watched the footage of the glowing pond. Fili took the imager before it was crushed. Both stared at the still frame of the clear image of Bilbo’s face, his drowned face.

"Those responsible dumped him on Earth, the Abrasax Queen's home alcazar. I've sent Adalgrim to work with her people in claiming the remains and retrieve whatever fell into the lake." Isumbras continued carefully. Thorin was no longer inwardly defiant. He simply looked up from the holo imager.

“No one would be stupid enough to dump an Abrasax ally in the Queen’s own backyard." Thorin's voice was barely audible. It was easy to see that he had already known, had just been waiting for the Thain’s confirmation of the horrible truth. It didn't take a telepath to see that Thorin knew the exact moment that Bilbo had died. It did take one to see that Thorin wasn't just mourning; he had received a deep wound to his psyche.

“Thorin, Bilbo’s braids were cut. They delivered to the Queen’s personal residence. It appears that this is one of her enemies that has struck, someone who knows that there are more personal ties involved in this alliance instead of just a formal agreement.”

“House Took has no formal agreements, nor treaties, with House Abrasax. You consider the Queen’s position too weak, with the First Prime being someone to be wary of. This is someone who knows Durin traditions. Cutting the hair was a grave offense to the entire Clan. Sending it to Jupiter was only what she would call a red herring, a false lead.”

“Mr. Wise said the same thing.” Isumbras sighed. "Except, the footage was not sent with the braids. It was posted to what he calls Earth's information band. It was advertised as an actor portrayal."

Thorin let Fili read the new sheave. “Papa’s death is being celebrated with a hunt of some kind.”

Isumbrus paled as the Durins reacted in a way he would never have predicted. It was a major miscalculation on his part. He had hoped that the news would convince Thorin to go along with his plan. Let the Thain deal with Earth, and Thorin would remain on Janus handling High Prince business. Now, even the ever calm Fili looked ready to burst out in some type of battle rage.

“It’s a House Took issue, we’ve agreed.” He continued on as if the news had been taken calmly. “Adalgrim and Mr. Apini are going to a place called Wyoming.” The foreign words stumbled across the Thain’s normally impeccable Common accent.

“I will go myself.” Thorin finally showed signs of himself again, though only vaguely. “If these people want a hunt, then a Durin hunt will come to them. If they are associated with Caine’s Queen, we will show her no mercy.”

"Mr. Apini is already on Earth. You trust him, Thorin. Let him do his job as an advance scout before you act so rashly." Isumbrus would never understand how Bilbo could handle such problematic splices as Durin's Folk.

"Keesler, activate the flight bay and contact the Mayweather. I need Charon and Cascade fueled and crewed immediately. We need the Aegis to arrange a transporter if Lord Adalgrim can't rendezvous with us before reaching Abrasax territory." Fili clearly disagreed with the Thain's plan. Isumbrus gave up; what was the use in imprisoning Bilbo's son? It would lose him Bilbo's few, but loyal, supporters. If his own people failed to solve this crisis, the insane Durins might be the advantage that House Took needed.

“Done.” Keesler reminded Isumbrus entirely too much of Baggins' efficiency. He could only watch as Thorin and Fili stood, foreheads touching for an intimate moment before chaos took charge.


	7. Hello Hello!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke gets to know Bilbo.

"I've no idea what I'm doing here," Luke grumbled under his breath as he led his wife through the hospital's main entrance and down a hall to the waiting room with its reception desk. The county hospital was small, so it didn't take long to go from the desk to the second-floor patient ward. Luke knew that Emma was still angry when she didn't stop at the maternity ward nursery window. He didn't get to count more than two fuzzy newborn heads before he was pulled away by Emma's firm grip on his hand. 

“We are going to visit our son. Remember?” Emma’s voice was full of disappointment, and hurt. Okay, so Luke was messing up royally yet again. His wife had given him the silent treatment the entire way here.

“Emma, you need to calm down before we go in. You might scare the boy.” Luke put the brakes on his wife’s rampage and pulled her to one side of the hallway as an orderly pushed an empty bed past them. “You don’t want to do more harm than good.”

"You've done your fair share of that today, Lucas Rinn." Emma huffed before forcing herself to breathe slowly in and out. Stupid or not, Luke was right. Her righteous rampage wouldn't make Alan happy.

Before Luke could deflect a second tongue lashing, a doctor appeared. In the indicated room, a small figure lay in the bed by the window. Luke chose to ignore the detailed discussion between Emma and Dr. Ryan. He watched the boy’s odd behavior, laying perfectly still, never turning his head away from watching the snowflakes lazily float past the window.

Emma dutifully listened to every word as the doctor described the boy’s injuries. A bandage was wound around his head; he had a concussion and fractured skull. The gauze covered an array of stitches; Emma just thought that it made Alan’s face look too pale, too sad.

Anger boiled up as the doctor continued talking as if said patient was not there. Luke caught the boy’s feeling of unease when the doctor mentioned that Alan would need to see a neurologist to follow up with his injuries.

Alan sank into his blankets, pulling them up to his chin, even as he continued to look out the window. When the doctor reached out a hand as if to pat the boy’s shoulder, he whistled an odd noise in alarm and shrank away.

"Dr. Ryan, haven’t you noticed that Alan is head to toe bruised black and blue? Don’t touch him so casually." Luke stepped in front of the bed. "I assume that there is paperwork that needs to be signed for his admission. Why don't you take my wife down to get that done? You can talk on the way.” He crossed his arms and just glared at Emma’s shocked face.

“Luke, you really need to behave in a…” Emma stopped and sighed at the red face, and just now noticed the hiding figure. “Shall we, Dr. Ryan?”

"You can also get the paperwork ready for his discharge. I know that you will keep him tonight for observation. We will pick him up after breakfast tomorrow. We brought clothes, so he is set." Luke took the bag of clothes from Emma and began putting them in a nightstand drawer. Soon, there was only Luke, calmly explaining what he was doing.

“Clean underwear and t-shirt. Flannel shirt. It’s a hand me down, but it should fit well. You should look good in it. The jeans might be a bit loose, but the belt will help.” Luke held up each item before carefully folding it. “These slipper boots are indoor wear, but we’ll get you a durable pair later.”

The boy’s reaction was interesting. He was relaxing, but still watched Luke’s every move. “You aren’t used to mistreatment, but someone beat you up before dumping you in our lake. Those bruises aren’t fresh.”

An arm was withdrawn from the blankets as bright green eyes took in the dark bruises and the edges that had yellowed. Luke didn’t miss the odd metallic tattoos dotting each finger. There was a rather fancy tattoo of a galaxy on Alan’s forearm. He had to be at least 18 to get a tattoo. “Are you some kind of goth or hippie, or something like that? Are you from New York? Los Angeles?”

Luke sat down in a bedside chair. For a solid minute, the two appraised one another. Alan’s appearance wasn’t nearly as alarming as when he was half dead. Luke could picture himself wondering if this was indeed someone's city cousin injured in a prank gone wrong.

"Los Angeles?" Definitely, a small reaction there. Luke merely got more comfortable in the padded chair. "Nice climate. It's probably the first time that you've seen snow, I take it. Can you talk, or use sign language, something like that?"

“My name means nothing.” Alan finally spoke in a soft voice with a lilting accent that hinted at a soothing cadence in a full conversation. He looked Luke over for two more full minutes before speaking again. “My family has undoubtedly declared me legally dead after whoever tried to kill me took my braids. It would be best to just say that I answer to cub.”

“What happened? Are we in danger? Are you with a mob family or something?” Luke hadn’t quite expected such a dire answer.

“I know of Los Angeles because I was a tourist there two years ago. We went to Disneyland.” Alan smiled softly at some private joke or memory. “I don’t know what happened. I was leaving my uncle’s court, then I was here. Therefore, I don’t know if we are in danger. If you keep my continued existence quiet, then things should go well.”

“Do you have any mob friends that you can call?” Luke knew that he was pulling at empty air here. It was better than mentioning the now chilling truth. Emma had been so right, yet again. Perhaps this boy had friends with guns.

"What is this mob? Is it not a riot?" Alan just looked confused. "My friends will be looking, as well as others, it's safe to assume. Mine own call me cub.”

"Why are you here? Where are you from?" Luke decided to not be pleasant for once. He hated those who avoided direct answers.

"This is House Abrasax territory, at one end of the Commonwealth. My House is at the other end." Alan paused in thought. "Icarus is the farthest visible star from this world. If you were to go there, then continue on that same distance past it, the distance would be less than halfway to the closest edge of my House's territory." Alan carefully watched Luke's reaction, which wasn't helped by the fact that he could tell that Alan was watching his emotions as well.

Luke scrubbed at his face for stubble that he had remembered to shave for once. "I need time to think about what you've told me. For now, we'll not mention that. You know Los Angeles, so it's where you're from recently. You’ll also need a better name than just cub, so we’ll continue using the name my wife picked out, Alan Lucas Rinn. And no mentioning of any danger. Just lay low for a time.”

"Lay in bed?" Alan visibly sized up their height difference caused by the bed.

“For now, yes.” Luke would just be content with a space alien who agreed with his demands. “You are sixteen, and recently from Los Angeles, and a friend gave you those tattoos.”

“Tattoos?” Now Alan looked bewildered, which settled into typical teenage obstinance. “I’m not sixteen! My son is sixteen! I may owe you my life, but I cannot change my demeanor and flat out lie.”

“A life debt, huh?” Luke was unphased, obviously not believing the son story. A sharp canine smile appeared; those who dismissed Fili always regretted it. Always.

"As I was saying, your repayment is your silence. You will be mute if you can't hold to the storyline." Still unphased, it was hard for him to control the situation while on the receiving end of a shrewd look. Luke could now feel an authoritative manner being directed at him.

“My repayment will be giving you the time that you requested to think this through in a wise manner, not an irrational one. We will discuss these stipulations at a later time, with respect for one another’s position. Agreed?” The promised soothing cadence was there, a stark contrast to the warning in the renewed shrewd look.

"Only if you tell me your true age." Luke had never been confronted in quite this manner by a teenager, or anyone, before. He had dozens of questions and troubling concerns, but Alan was right about this not being the time. "Are you some immortal light being or something? Thousands of years old?"

Alan didn't quite take the question seriously at first as he let loose peals of musical laughter. "I may just introduce you to such beings one day, Luke Rinn. Perhaps one day." Alan wiped his eyes as he tried to keep a straight face. "You are approximately twice my age, and we shall get along splendidly."


	8. Sweet Soul, Sweet Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma adores her new son. Luke keeps one to many things to himself. Thorin's psyche wounds have been taking their toll on him, until Bilbo reaches out when they both sleep.

"How is he?" Emma whispered as she came back in a few minutes later. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the now sleeping Alan as if he were too good to be true. Luke wondered what they had gotten themselves into. The boy had promised that people would be looking for them. He wouldn't elaborate to Emma just yet; she would definitely kill him and his brothers with their wives' help.

"He knows Los Angeles, and of course, Disneyland. He's not mute; rather eloquent. He was roughed up by someone, but remembers nothing of his ordeal. He's a watcher, gauging your every move and word." Luke had years of experience sizing up people after dealing in the family lumber business until Mark thankfully took over. He was content with his lodge. Tourists were comfortable, not hard to figure out. They simply wanted a vacation for a week, no matter their personality type. 

"You missed your calling as a detective, Luke." Emma chided herself as she got back up and put her coat and purse on an extra chair. Of course, Luke had claimed the padded one that every hospital seemed to have when a patient sat out of bed. She didn't mind; venting anger was tiring, and he had been right about calming down before coming in.

"My, Alan is all that one would expect from the stars. Noble, fair, and handsome. He's royalty." Emma stroked the fair skin of his face, gently skirting the bruise on his left cheek. His hair was dark blonde, still changing from a child's golden locks. It had initially been past his chin, but not to his shoulders. Now, most of the left side was shorn short under the bandage.

"Alan is a person that someone will be looking for. The big question is whether it's in his best interest to be found." Luke only now approached the bed; it's patient definitely asleep. He fingered the simple ring choker around the boy's neck. It and the pendant bell were of a simple design, but the chocker was heavily engraved with what looked like writing.

"They couldn't remove it, or even identify the metal." Emma frowned, not appreciating Luke's reminder. He always was a downer on Christmas morning. "Some kind of cobalt chrome. The doctor says that the hand dot tattoos are actually metal fiber embedded into his skin, connecting to his nervous system. He has them in his feet and along his spine as well."

"Can you believe that the nurses have the gall to call him space cadet?" Now Emma was lightning her temper again. She couldn't help but peek at the arm tattoo and its portrayal of a beautiful galaxy, shining with an array of colors and not just the dull shine. Luke pointed out the neon blue tattoo on the boy's other arm. It had the same strange writing around the circle border. Two heads, one young, the other a bearded man, were facing away from each other in the interior, with a pair of wings framing them.

"Alan is a work of art." Emma held her breath as she saw that the double-faced marking actually glowed. She put that arm around a colorful scarlet macaw toy, courtesy of a quick stop in the gift shop. Alan sighed in his sleep and tucked the toy under his chin.

"Tomorrow, Emma. Let them do their job. We still need to get his room ready." Luke rubbed her shoulders soothingly, then sat back down to watch her fawn over her fallen prince. Alan wasn't in a hurry to wake and object, so Luke contented himself with watching the snow pile up on his truck in the parking lot.

\----

Thorin stretched after he got up from his seat. Cascade had comfortable chairs, but he had still been harnessed in for the entire journey to rendezvous with Adalgrim's yacht, the Cornelius. He took a walk around the flight deck, exercising his wings gingerly, but didn't approach the others. Fili came up to him, the cub's unique serious/worry hybrid of an expression now ever-present.

"Uncle, we are just now leaving Took territory. It will be another few hours before we reach Blue Nebula Corridor. The mentioned names meant little to Thorin. He merely yawned wide, showing impressive teeth that his nephew would one day inherit. Fili's pretty cub teeth appeared in a now all too fleeting smile that didn't replace his prior expression. Thorin looked and felt tired and haggard, though any empath worth their knack could sense the deep wound to his psyche.

"Uncle, why don't you come inside and rest for a bit. Use my bunk. I still have to inspect our ships and check-in with Lord Adalgrim." Fili would have preferred to keep Thorin harnessed in his seat, but it was a very long journey. Durins not used to travel found portal travel fatiguing. For Thorin to show signs of being weary so soon was telling of his lack of sleep.

Thorin looked around at their minimalist accommodations on the flight deck, with its metal floor, some scaffolding, a few skiffs, and a small shuttle to look at. He had traveled countless times to less of a view, being shipped around the gyre for two decades. He had amused himself enough times in bland cargo holds. Fili's bed would be a bit cramped, but seem like heaven in comparison.

Fili's bed was actually its own compartment. Thorin was pleasantly surprised as his nephew show him to the crew compartment behind the main seating area on the main deck. "Cascade is a class larger than Charon, so being the pilot has its privileges that include my own space."

"This is nice, very nice." Thorin gratefully let Fili remove his wing guards and greaves. His sword and daggers were placed in a drawer under the bed. They had left fully armored, something that wasn't very comfortable for a long trip. He looked around as he carefully sorted his wings to sleep on his stomach.

"You need to relax, Uncle." Fili didn't cover Thorin, but draped the blanket around his shoulders and arms. He kissed his uncle's cheek as he tucked the covering under the weary trinome's chin. "Sleep."

"Sleep." Thorin left off his questions about where Fili would rest. He could join Thorin, but Thorin could feel that the pilot's duties would take him some time. Fili would carefully check each ship, just as he had been taught by Bilbo. The thought brought a pang of pain searing through Thorin's being.

Something was wrong, and it was getting worse. Thorin had no name for the unseen wound inside him, but even the bee splices had been affected. Yes, they were collecting Bilbo's remains, but the apid splices should be sad, mourning. Instead, they acted as if all of Janus itself had been lost to them.

Thorin would rest for a time, knowing that it wouldn't help, merely give the three crews a break from his sorrow. They could find solace with each other and in their work. There would be none for him, only a few hours of nothingness.

\----

Thorin looked around at the dozen or so large, rectangular floor mirrors surrounding him in a circle. Each showed the face of a nearby empath, or one close to his heart. He was back in the dark place that had been so cold. Now, the ice was gone; only snow lazily fell outside of his dim circle of light.

"Kili." Thorin smiled as he touched the image, with Kili showing his own impish smile. The second mirror showed Fili, with his hybrid worry expression. All the mirrors reflected the feelings of empaths in close proximity, or those who shared deep family bonds with Thorin.

 _Thorin._ Thoughts not his own brushed Thorin's psyche. He turned around to see a somewhat confused looking Bilbo standing next to him, dressed in the formal outfit he had last worn when traveling to the Thain's court. _Thorin, where are we?_

“Deep inside of us.” Thorin just stared at Bilbo, completely bewildered. “They said that you were dead. I felt your terror before the bond was severed. What is this?” Any joy that was bubbling up then turned to cold nothingness as he reached for his cub, and the hand passed through Bilbo. “Are you a dream? Will I be tormented by your death for the rest of my life?”

 _I'm not dead, Thorin. Our bond survives. What has happened?_ Bilbo tried to stroke Thorin's beard; his hand passed through as Thorin's had. He looked around again as the scene changed. Now Thorin was sitting on the floor, covered in ice in front of a broken mirror's empty frame. Shards of glass were scattered everywhere.

“Your mirror, your empathic connection to me, shattered when you died.” The scream that Thorin had heard that awful moment echoed around them. Bilbo clearly didn't understand, looking overhead before sitting on his knees next to Thorin. “Our kapevja bond is no more.”

 _I'm not dead, Thorin. We are not alone. Remember when I found you? You were blind and could only smell blood, the pain making thought impossible. Remember that I was by your side. You held my ear. Hold my ear now._ Bilbo’s thoughts were like a warm summer’s breeze, calming and soothing ice cold skin for a moment.

Thorin looked up, his head's movement breaking ice covering him. The familiar unseen force of that was always Bilbo's touch pulled an arm free. Thorin felt his right hand begin to warm as he felt a lycantant's distinct ear, the shape that had proven so long ago that he was safe.

 _Do not despair. You are Sweet Soul, and we will never be parted._ The name echoed as the scream had, but as a soft whisper. Thorin closed his eyes to the truth in the broken mirror as his eyelashes frosted over to seal his lids shut. Now, in darkness and numb from the cold, he concentrated on not letting go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all that I have for now. More updates will come at a pace based on my bone dr appt tomorrow.


	9. Trouble Brews Seen and Unseen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thranduil ruins Thorin's bandage. Bilbo's hopes for a remote hideout are misplaced. Fili and Luke must deal with difficult situations.

If Thorin had been hoping for oblivion, then he was sorely disappointed. He was roughly, and rudely in his opinion, woken to the worst scenario possible. The Cornelius had planned to travel through Sindar territory in their haste. Adalgrim wanted to make good time, not owe fees and fines compounded into an astronomical sum. This made it problematic when the Sindar corridor pilot discovered that his yacht had not claimed the three foreign vessels on his flight deck.

Fili had been closed-lipped about where they were going. The corridor pilot tried to be diplomatic; this was the Took ambassador's heir. After a short, polite conversation, the two agreed that it would be perfectly acceptable to inquire with Prince Legolas before proceeding. This was unknown to Adalgrim, who went on to have an Entitled meltdown like the Took he was. This wouldn't have been inappropriate, except that Adalgrim's juvenile scene was the first thing that the prince came upon after boarding the Cornelius.

This led to more questions than Fili had wanted to answer, which Adalgrim spewed too generously as he continued to rant. Adalgrim was a relatively level headed person, but he currently didn't have the funds for the growing fee. The Sindar were threatening to confiscate his yacht. All he wanted to do was find his younger cousin. Couldn't the Sindar realize the gravity of this situation? This last objection led to Thranduil himself appearing, for reasons of his own.

For reasons of his own, this appearance led to Fili collecting his three crews and disappearing back to their shuttles. Adalgrim could take care of this mess. Thorin woke to Thranduil himself, looking down at him. Adalgrim was no help whatsoever. Thorin decided that Adalgrim and Thranduil deserved each other. The Janus contingent would stay out of this.

Bilbo would have been proud of Thorin's self-control. It was too bad that Thranduil didn’t appreciate being ignored. He had been bored of late, and a confrontation with the temperamental Durin had seemed a splendid idea. To have Thorin, and Bilbo’s brat, refuse to leave Cascade, and have to deal with the rather mundane Took was an insult of the highest caliber. Thranduil was in the mood to play the role of forgiving Sindar king to a grieving audience that would appreciate his generosity. This situation was unacceptable.

That was the situation that Thorin was fully woken to by Thranduil towering over him. He simply sat up and straightened his clothes, armor, and his Jaal pendant. The symbol was half the length of Thorin's hand. Thin slices of translucent green and blue stone were carefully worked into a mosaic that depicted a pair of wings covering Bilbo's sigil. With sleight of hand, Thranduil held up the pendant while wearing a tyrannical smile. Pressure on the glittering wings scattered the stone slices across the blanket.

“You have too high an opinion of yourself, Thorin, son of Thrain, if you think that your position as the High Prince’s Jaal puts you above Sindar law.” Thranduil was sure to fill his voice with contempt.

Thorin felt nothing, his mind cold and unfeeling as his blank face looked upon the enraged king. "On the contrary, a Sindar king becoming upset because of an old, broken gladiator rather raises my importance in the eyes of society. I'm someone to take note of for some."

“Let us pass to continue our journey. No? Cascade, tell Cornelius' crew to set the most expedient course around Sindar Territory. We cannot tarry." Thorin smiled at Thranduil's smug face gone red with fury. “We would be honored if Prince Legolas were to accompany us.”

Thorin didn’t care if the nearest alternative beacon was in House Cotton territory. His cub was vulnerable and needed his Clan. He could grouse and complain about the indignity later as Bilbo combed out his hair and soothed him.

"My son has other duties, but I shall leave you with a gift." Thranduil wasn't about to have his son travel around their territory, nor let Thorin's trick to be allowed to pass be successful. The Sindar raised a hand. "You are suffering from a psyche wound that needs to be debrided, to use a crude term."

Thorin stiffened as he felt his mind torn from Bilbo’s soul, his hand tugged from his cub’s ear. He staggered, though there was no sound of breaking glass. There was nothing but a raw, painful absence. Internally, Thorin cried out for his cub, reaching even as his body collapsed.

\----

Bilbo dreamed that he was alone in a cold dark expanse. His calls echoed, but only the sound of broken glass answered. To further set his dark mood, he woke with a headache. Yes, he knew that a concussion would give him one at times, but this hurt! Bilbo checked his head for a raw, open wound, but only found the soft gauze covering his multiple lines of stitches.

Barely able to choke down the bland mush that the hospital called oatmeal, Bilbo let himself be tossed into a shower and dressed. The nurses seemed more eager than him to leave this place. Used to such malcontents, Bilbo silently took up his bag of meager belongings and followed Luke out to the truck.

“You’re allowed to talk, you know. No one’s going to spy and record you out here.” Luke had just meant to get the unpleasant task of bringing Alan home done with. The reality of the boy mutely staring out the window for ten minutes was too much. “Is something wrong? I know that my truck isn’t a space carriage, but it’s reliable in the snow.”

“I like your truck. I don't like snow." The soft, oddly accented voice finally answered. A minute of silence told Luke that was the extend of the conversation, he himself continued.

“The snow is part of what keeps our region remote. Auburn is a town; the people will warm up to you, Alan.”

“It’s best that they not know that I’m at your home. Being in a remote place will be an advantage in my situation.” Alan adjusted his gauze to not cover his ears.

"About that," Luke had told Nathan to take down the website entirely for a time. He had used the excuse that people would overwhelm the phones with requests for information and wanting to come out to the property.

"I'm worried about Thorin." The statement brought Luke out of his attempt to explain Alan's situation before they got back to the lodge.

“He’s my soul brother, for lack of a better term in your language.” Bilbo continued as if Luke had asked.

“Some sort of twin?” A musical, genuine laugh answered. Luke could feel the goodwill behind it, and grinned as he maneuvered onto the road that bordered the property.

"Thorin is much older than me. He also has wings. Why are you apprehensive?" Bilbo interrupted his own description. "I do not have an evil twin, just a Thorin with big feet.”

Luke chuckled, lightening his mood. “You will see your Thorin again soon. There’s a saying about things working out for the better in the end.” He looked at the now rather morose face. It wouldn’t do to have Alan come home in a bad mood. “If you don’t like the cold, then cover your own big ears up. The wind will bite them off.”

Bilbo harumphed, but tucked them securely again. “What is bothering you, Luke? I sense a heaviness on your mind that you wish to talk about.”

“You’re coming home is a good thing. Don’t spoil it. Business can wait.” Luke forced a smile as he turned onto the lodge road.

"It rarely waits for long," Alan added sagely before turning to look back out the window.


	10. Lukewarm Reception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma is too engrossed in proudly introducing her son to the family to notice their hesitant reaction. Luke gets bad news that Bilbo is beginning to realize is something very serious.

"Does it say reserved? Towing?" Bilbo finally showed some interest in his surroundings when the truck pulled up by the barn. He looked at the large sign informing guests that this parking lot was for property vehicles only.

"The sign says Reserved Parking, and that violators will be towed at owner expense." Luke got out, too impatient for an impromptu reading lesson. Emma would enjoy teaching the boy, not him. "If you want to practice reading, we have a whole shelf of kids books inside. I'm not staying out here in the cold."

Luke internally kicked himself when Bilbo's face changed from curious to a blank expression. Shuddering at the feeling of bland acceptance, Luke could see that this kid was used to being dismissed. He had to remind himself again that Emma wouldn't be pleased with such a mood. A horse whiney from the barn was perfectly timed to help.

"You have animals!" Bilbo's demeanor changed to delight. "What kind?"

"We lease horses for the summer trail rides, but there are a few that we own." Luke grinned. "That's Galaxus, wanting to be fussed over by my nieces. I'll bring you out at feeding time to meet him. Come on, Emma's waiting."

Once inside, Bilbo froze when he saw the large common room with its roaring fireplace. Emma hurried out of the kitchen to give him a hug, ignoring his hesitation. "Welcome home, Alan. I'm just cooking up a few things for lunch. Luke, you watch the pots. I'll show our boy to his room."

"Emma, I told you not to plan anything for a few days." Luke groaned. He had things to do that didn't include a family potluck with a dozen kids running around.

"We're not hiding Alan, Luke. He is family and deserves a welcome home." Emma squeezed Bilbo's shoulder and smiled reassuredly at him. "Everyone is eager to meet you."

Luke was happy to see his odd guest keep up with his mute charade. It would help keep things from getting even weirder at the party. They might actually be able to pull the thing off with everyone believing that Alan was from California. Bilbo looking utterly flummoxed as to why people would be eager to meet him was an amusing look, but it was balanced with the seriousness of Nora refusing to approach the boy.

"Yes, the family is going to love you, Alan. It's just going to be Luke's two brothers and their families." Emma took the bewilderment washing over her in stride. "Now, I've set out some clothes to change into later. You have time to rest for an hour first."

Bilbo didn't want to dress up and meet people. His head hurt, making the idea of food quite unappealing. He looked outside at the bitter cold, and reluctantly went with Emma to find where he could rest.

\----

Coming to wake Bilbo, Emma found him in the small bathroom attached to his room. He had removed the bandages and was eyeing his disheveled hair with disdain. The dark blonde did look horrible, with one side short and the rest ragged.

"Emma to the fashion rescue." She smiled and motioned Bilbo to sit on the toilet as she wrapped a towel around his shoulders. "Men wear short hair around here. I think a modified buzz cut will look very charming."

Twenty minutes later, Bilbo emerged from his room wearing a sky blue dress shirt with a light green tie. He wore newer jeans tucked into a pair of somewhat too large house boots that also hid the rolled cuffs of the too-long jeans. His new buzzcut with longer hair on top swept into upturned bangs was paired with a barely-there trimmed beard.

"Everyone, this is Alan." Emma happily dragged Bilbo to his seat at the main table. There were two fold-up tables full of kids of all ages. One sat in a high chair next to the blond-haired woman that Emma introduced as Mark's wife, Tammy. Nathan's wife, Angela, looked Bilbo over suspiciously as he was sat next to her, but said nothing.

Bilbo barely caught the laundry list of names, though Emma had already described everyone so that he wouldn't feel too lost. He definitely noticed the heaping plate of food that was passed to him. There were servings of fried squash, corn mixed with peas and carrots, and mashed potatoes. The problem was the turkey gravy that sloshed over the potatoes and covered everything else. The thick slices of turkey didn't help the onslaught of his nose.

Luke was at the head of the table, half-listening to Mark's plans about the upcoming audit. The meal was much more interesting to a man who hadn't eaten since an early breakfast. A late lunch at 2 pm was too late in his opinion. Opening his mouth to give said opinion as Tammy asked about the potatoes, Luke felt someone staring at him. He looked down the table to a very green Bilbo staring at him.

Emma was still by Bilbo's side, holding a fork and trying to get him to take a bite of turkey. Luke got an evident impression that he had better step in if he wanted dear Alan to remain mute. Nodding to his own plate, he watched Bilbo put his spoon in the corn.

"Here, Nathan. Give Alan another plate. Some vegetables." It took three plates before Nathan understood that meant a plate not drowning in gravy. Emma wasn't happy as she apologized to Angela for the turkey as she took the full plate away. Angela herself barely noticed, too busy staring at a visibly relieved Bilbo as he savored a bite of carrots. Luke didn't miss the coincidence of him feeling Bilbo's relief at the same time that her staring began.

After the awkward meal, Bilbo was set on the couch when he tried to help clear the table. Luke stood with Nathan and Mark at a distance. The boy didn't look at them, but all three were well aware of his attention on them. Even with kids sitting next to him on the couch and hovering around, Bilbo stood out with his bandaged head and calm demeanor as he was pestered with questions.

"Alan can't stay here, Luke." Mark was blunt. "Angela doesn't trust him one bit. Did you see his eyes turn from green to silver? It's a quick second, but it keeps happening. We can't have a stranger causing trouble."

"He's good with kids," Nathan noted as Bilbo ignored 11-year-old Brad's tale of his best friend's adventure at summer camp and help 3-year-old Liz climb up next to him. "If there is trouble, we can just put Vulcan ears on him and hold a Star Trek convention."

Luke pretended to cough to pretend to cover a laugh with a cough. Bilbo's ears were covered with the bandage now, but what about later? This was a mess.

"Luke, I'm taking my family home." Mark caught his wife's eye. She was collecting Liz from the couch. All three saw Bilbo staring at Nathan, his face clearly showing his anger. All but the eldest two kids followed Angela without a word, clearly affected by his mood.

"Mark, don't be a spoilsport." Good-natured Nathan tried to lighten the mood. Mark merely turned on him, now upset. "Nathan, you just take down that crap from the website as Luke told you to. I'm tired of fielding calls at the office. Let's go, Angela."

"You didn't?" Luke let Emma handle trying to get Mark to stay. He felt a sudden chill as he guessed that he had Alan's full and undivided attention.

"It's been picked up by several news feeds. Everyone is talking about it. Even if I took the video down, others have posted it to their own sites, or run copies on their video channels. Calm down, Luke. It's great PR for the lodge." Nathan looked around. "You could use the business right now."

An unfamiliar tinkling bell interrupted Luke's reply. Alan appeared by his side, clearly wanting an explanation. Nathan was happy to ruin the mood. "Alan, you are a hit on the internet. That video! I don't know how you made it so realistic, but your hard work paid off."

"Alan, go play video games with the boys." Luke's tone was firm, and he took Bilbo by the shoulders and turned him to look at two boys sitting in front of a large screen TV. They were howling with glee as they flew some kind of simulation game. "I will handle this."

Bilbo looked at the kids, including Judy, who patted the couch in invitation for him to return. He looked back at Luke for a moment, purposely radiating a feeling of concern. Then, he headed over to the TV and sat to watch how to play this odd type of game.

"We need to talk." Luke grabbed Nathan and dragged him into the office.


End file.
